Americas

Colombia begins national poll vote

Former defence minister and an ex-mayor of Bogota lead tight race for presidency.

30 May 2010 16:32 GMT

Sunday's ballot is the first round in the election and if neither presidential candidate garners a majority, the elections will go to a second round with the two top candidates standing in a runoff on June 20.

His strategies against fighting the Farc have been marred by allegations of human rights abuses.

Also vows to continue Uribe's security policies.

Santos also has portrayed himself as the best candidate to deal with neighbouring Venezuela and Ecuador, both countries with contentious relations with Colombia.

Santos' campaign rallies have been punctuated by slogans saying "No to fear" in reference to the 46-year-old Farc, the oldest insurgency in the Americas responsible for murders, kidnappings and extortion, and generalised crime.

"The Farc intend to interfere in the elections. In some areas of the country they are threatening people to stop them from voting for me," Santos told supporters on Saturday.

Under Uribe's tenure, military spending increased from three per cent of gross domestic product to 4.1 per cent, boosting the security forces from 220,000 men to 425,000.

Anti-Farc operations over the same period thinned the rebels' ranks from an estimated 17,000 in 2002 to around 7,500.

Mockus, for his part, has also promised to crack down on the rebels though he has also emphasised the economic policies he hopes to implement.

Colombia currently has the highest unemployment rate in South America and Mockus has pledged to create more jobs.

His base of support is the relatively better-off citizenry of the capital, while Santos has aimed his efforts at Colombia's large population of rural and poorer voters.

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